6 Variations on a theme from Vogler's opera 'Samori', J.43, op. 6
Romantic Variations Piano solo ~9 min
In brief

This piece projects a bright, agile character, alternating virtuosic passages with singing episodes where the operatic theme is varied through ornamentation and rhythmic play, producing an effect that is alternately playful and lyrical. Technically, Knowledge of forms (3.8/5) is crucial to identify the exact layout of each variation and its repeats so you can shape dynamics and breathing between sections, and Sustain pedal (3.1/5) requires precise pedal changes and releases to preserve attack clarity while blending the harmonic voices. The work belongs to the Romantic period and exemplifies Weber’s practice of turning operatic themes into piano variations intended for both the stage and salon circulation. I do not have a confidently identifiable reference performance to recommend.

Listen to this work

No verified recording for this work yet. We add more every week.

Sheet music

Public-domain sheet music on IMSLP ↗

Is this the right work?
MusicCoach difficulty
35/100
Elementary
Likely range : 23–47/100
Confidence : 28% · to confirm
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedVirtuoso
Exam grade
About grade 3 to 4

Estimated from our difficulty score, not taken from an exam syllabus. Checked against 333 works on the ABRSM syllabus: the exact grade is right 7 times out of 10, and within one grade 99 times out of 100.

Difficulty estimate by MusicCoach on a scale of 1 to 100.

Where this work sits
050100

Most works cluster between 45 and 65: a small score gap often marks a real step. The highlighted bar shows this work among those for the same instrument.

The MusicCoach difficulty measures a work's overall demands (technique, reading, stamina) on a shared 0-100 scale, consolidated from editorial and pedagogical reference points (Henle, exam syllabuses, curation) and our own analyses. It measures neither musical value nor the practice time YOU will need: two musicians of the same level can experience the same work very differently depending on their strengths (hands used to octaves, quick sight-reading…). The confidence reflects how many reference points sit behind the score and how well they agree — a lightly documented score is flagged “to validate”. For a truly personal bearing, the diagnostic and your space compare each work to YOUR estimated level, which the score alone cannot do.

Does this rating look right to you?

This rating is computed automatically from heterogeneous sources. It gets things wrong, sometimes badly. If you know this work, your answer is worth more than our computation: it tells us which ratings to review.

Add a note (optional)

Your note is not published on the site: it is read in review.

Relative difficulty
7%
Among Carl Maria von Weber
10%
Era Romantic
6%
Genre
Estimated skills
Theory
Harmonic analysis
1
Theory
Knowledge of forms
1
Pedaling
Sustain pedal
1
Style
Romantic style
1
Rhythm
Tempo rubato
1
Technique
Legato
1
Interpretation
Phrasing
1
What to play next?

Each suggestion combines difficulty gap, risk, confidence and skill overlap. The first two cards in each column are the most useful pedagogically.

See the whole progression